Integrated optimization methods in multisensor decision and estimation fusion

This paper presents a significant integrated optimization point of view behind the following three successful decision and estimation fusion results: 1) a unified fusion rule for networked sensor decision systems; 2) optimal sensor data quantization for estimation fusion and 3) integrated multi-target data association tracking systems. More precisely speaking, the integrated optimization method in 1) derives a unified objective function optimizing only sensor rules given a unified fusion rule; the method in 2) derives a unified objective function optimizing both the sensor quantization rule and the final estimation in the MSE sense, and the method in 3) integrates all associated targets and their valid observations into a whole random measurement matrix dynamic system so that the optimal random matrix Kalman filtering can be applied to estimate the states of all associated targets.